Santorum Picks Up Endorsement From Iowa Pro-Life Activist

Politics   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Jul 13, 2011   |   10:50AM   |   Des Moines, IA

There are several pro-life candidates in the race for the Republican nomination for president, but longtime Iowa pro-life activist Kim Lehman, the former executive director of Iowa Right to Life, is backing Rick Santorum.

The Santorum campaign announced her endorsement today and it could help the former Pennsylvania senator gain some traction with social conservative voters in the state where he has been lagging behind in the polls, with support in the low single digits in most polls.

Lehman is a widely respected and well-known conservative leader in the Iowa.  In addition to serving as Iowa’s Republican National Committeewoman, Lehman is the Development Director for the John Paul II Stem Cell Institute, a pro-life bioethics organization. She led Iowa Right to Life for years before that and is making the endorsement for Santorum personally — not on behalf of either of the groups.

“I am blessed to be able to endorse a candidate like Rick Santorum for President,” Lehman said.

“Rick Santorum’s record of accomplishment proves that he is more than someone who says that he believes in conservative principals, he is someone willing to fight for them – all of them, including the seriously daunting social and economic issues,” Lehman added. “Rick won’t apologize for America being great, and he will defend Israel.  He didn’t shy away from taking on the partial birth abortion ban or welfare reform and he’s certainly not going to shy away from getting this country back on track.”

“Rick Santorum is grounded and able to lead on the national stage.  I look forward to working with him and his campaign in preparation for the caucus in February,” she added.

Santorum said he appreciated Lehman’s support, telling LifeNews in a statement, “Kim’s passion and reputation of standing tall for conservative principles reaches far beyond the borders of Iowa.”

“I am honored to have Kim’s endorsement,” Santorum added. ” I am excited about the opportunity to formally work with Kim to spread our message of freedom and faith in the American people.”

Lehman is the first member of the RNC in any of the early primary election states to endorse a candidate for president. Members of what essentially constitutes the board of directors of the national Republican Party frequently do not make endorsements in contested presidential races but Lehman said she had no hesitation in supporting Santorum, whom she believes has a good chance of winning the nomination despite the polling numbers currently.

Santorum faces a host of pro-life candidates seeking the nomination as Tim Pawlenty, Michele Bachmann, Newt Gingrich, Herman Cain, Ron Paul, Jon Huntsman and Thaddeus McCotter all have pro-life positions and records. Mitt Romney is also running as a pro-life candidate, though he switched from a pro-abortion to a pro-life view shortly before running in the 2008 campaign. Only former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson is pro-abortion among the GOP hopefuls.

Santorum is one of a five Republican presidential candidates to sign the Susan B. Anthony List pledge.